TIRANA, July 28 – The fact that Albania has a member of parliament who has been convicted of human trafficking is “disgraceful,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement this week, following the release of a U.S. State Department report on the Albanian government’s efforts to fight human trafficking.
The report noted that Albania is a source and destination country for men, women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.
“Albanian women and children are primarily subjected to sex trafficking within Albania, in neighboring countries (Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Greece), and in other European countries,” the report noted. “Albanian and some foreign victims are subjected to forced labor in Albania, particularly in the tourism industry.”
Following the release of the 2015 State Department report on Trafficking in Persons, the U.S. Embassy in Tirana issued an additional statement, noting that the report had recognized the Albanian government had made some good progress and continued to make significant efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
“At the same time, the embassy finds it disgraceful that there is an Albanian member of parliament with convictions for human trafficking,” the embassy statement said. “Albanians have the right to have elected representatives with integrity and high ethical standards, not criminals.”
It added the U.S. will continue to urge all political parties to keep individuals with criminal backgrounds out of Albanian politics and public life.
The embassy did not provide any names, but local media have alluded to a member of parliament of the Socialist Party, Arben Ndoka.
The opposition Democratic Party had previously published a conviction sheet for Ndoka, showing he had been convicted for facilitation of prostitution in Italy.
Prime Minister Edi Rama told an Albanian television show Ndoka had produced a clean penal history when he had allowed him to run as an MP.
Ndoka said in a statement this week that he had been convicted by an Italian court for a crime he did not commit and in a trial he did not know was taking place, and where he had no lawyer present.
Unlike common law jurisdictions, civil law in places like Italy and Albania allows trials where the defendant is not present.
Ndoka said he was trying to reopen the case and get an official pardon in Italy. Ndoka admitted to serving time in prison for the conviction, being released in 2005.
Ndoka also faced criminal charges after punching an opposition MP after a parliamentary commission meeting in full view of the CCTV cameras, the footage of which is now available on YouTube. A Tirana court dropped charges against Ndoka in the case, saying it was out of its jurisdiction to deal with violence inside parliament.
Washington has been increasingly critical of the presence of individuals with criminal ties in elected office in Albania.
But the American warnings have not resonated with Albania’s voters and leaders. Two Socialist mayors who were shown in the media to have criminal convictions won landslide victories in the June 21 elections. The Socialists refused repeated international requests to withdraw the two candidates.
Following the release of the report, Interior Minister Elona Gjebrea said in a press conference that the Albanian media should focus on the good parts of the human trafficking report instead of the criticism, adding the government was working hard to deal with the problems.
The U.S. Embassy said it encourages the Albanian government “to continue those efforts to combat human trafficking in all its forms through strong law enforcement and effective victim protections, as well as with policies to prevent trafficking.”
It added the U.S. is committed to working with Albania to support its ongoing efforts against human trafficking.
The parliament’s speaker and head of the Socialist Movement for Integration, Ilir Meta, said he welcomed the latest U.S. State Department report as a recognition of Albania’s progress and the government’s continued commitment to the fight against criminal activity.
“I express the conviction that the report represents an important platform and positive incentive for the work of the state specialized structures to combat this phenomenon,” Meta said in a press statement.
He added authorities were working for the full implementation of laws as well as the development of social programs for the prevention, protection and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking.
Meta, who leads the junior partner in the coalition government, also said he supports the process of decriminalization of politics through increased legal standards for all elected or appointed public officials.
Decriminalization of the country’s politics remains a tough issue for the Albanian political class.
The opposition Democrats have for the past few months been on the offensive, arguing the government has used criminal elements to buy votes and pressure voters.
“Albania represents a unique case, because human traffickers are appointed members of parliament, mayors and directors by Prime Minister Edi Rama and his partner, Ilir Meta,” the opposition leader, Lulzim Basha said in a strongly-worded statement this week. “The opposition is not alone in its fight against crime and trafficking as it enjoys full U.S. and EU support.”
